Bookplate Special: A Booktown Mystery Part 35

POTATO-AND-LEEK SOUP.

2 tablespoons b.u.t.ter

2 cloves diced garlic

2 good-sized potatoes (or about 1 pound)

2 good-sized leeks (or about 1 pound)

4 cups chicken broth

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 cup milk or light cream

Clean and chop white part of the leeks. Melt the b.u.t.ter in a large saucepan and add the chopped leeks and garlic. Saute them over low to medium heat until the leeks are soft (about 10 minutes). Stir frequently; do not brown.

Add all the remaining ingredients to the pan except the milk/ cream. Bring the soup to a boil and then let it simmer for 15- 20 minutes.

If you prefer a smooth soup, mash the potatoes in the pan, or puree them in a blender. Just before serving, pour the milk/ cream into the soup; stir well, and heat through.

Serves 4.

MINI SPINACH QUICHES.

1/2 cup b.u.t.ter or margarine, softened

1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese, softened

1 cup all-purpose flour

3 slices bacon

1/4 cup chopped green onion

2 eggs

1/2 cup half-and-half

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 (10-ounce) package frozen spinach, thawed and

well drained (use your hands to squeeze out the

water).

In a small mixing bowl, cream b.u.t.ter and cream cheese. Add flour; beat until well blended. Shape into 24 b.a.l.l.s. Press b.a.l.l.s into the bottom and the sides of greased mini m.u.f.fin cups.

Preheat oven to 350o. In a skillet, cook the bacon until brown and very crisp; drain. Saute the onions in the same skillet with the bacon drippings for 5 minutes, or until tender, stirring constantly; drain. Place the onions in a medium bowl. Crumble the bacon into small pieces, and add to the onions. Add the eggs to the bacon and onions; beat well. Stir in the half-and-half, salt, nutmeg, and Parmesan cheese. Add the spinach; mix well to combine. Divide the mixture among crust-lined cups (do not overfill).

Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until puffed and golden brown. Cool in pan on wire rack for 5 minutes. Serve warm or cool. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.

Makes 24.

Turn the page for a preview of.

the next book in the Booktown Mysteries.

by Lorna Barrett ...

CHAPTER AND HEa.r.s.e.

Coming soon from Berkley Prime Crime!

The poster on the Cookery's display window had advertised the book signing for at least a month. Throngs of people were supposed to be in evidence. A temporary cook station had been a.s.sembled, with ramekins filled with diced vegetables, chopped chicken, and spices all lined up like props in a stage play.

Tricia Miles forced a smile and tried not to glance at her watch. "Everything looks perfect," she said with a cheer in her voice she didn't quite feel.

The "guest" author, her sister, Angelica, stood behind the cook station, head held high, although her eyes were watery and her mouth trembled ever so slightly. "n.o.body's going to come. Not one person."

"I'm here," said Ginny Wilson, Tricia's a.s.sistant at her mystery bookstore, Haven't Got a Clue.

"And I," said elderly Mr. Everett, Tricia's other, part-time, employee.

"Don't forget me," Frannie May Armstrong said in her ever-present Texas tw.a.n.g. Angelica owned the Cookery, Stoneham's cookbook store, although Frannie managed it for her. Angelica also owned Booked for Lunch, a retro cafe across the street. Writing cookbooks was just another entry on her colorful resume.

Unfortunately, the village of Stoneham, known locally as "Booktown," was more a tourist destination not far from the New Hampshire/Ma.s.sachusetts state line. Not many of the locals supported the booksellers, who'd been recruited to save what had been a dying village. Shops filled with used, rare, and antiquarian books had done it, too, as evidenced by new prosperity and a much-needed influx of tax revenue.

"Wasn't a busload of gourmands supposed to arrive for the signing?" Mr. Everett whispered to Frannie.

"I got the call about an hour ago. They cancelled, but asked for a rain check. They may return some time next fall."

Tricia refrained from commenting. Thanks to the Internet, Angelica had cultivated a relationship with the "Gamboling Gourmets," who traveled New England throughout the summer, tasting the local cuisines. Tonight's signing was to be their first outing of the year, and Angelica's launch party. She'd spent days preparing a table full of desserts--all entries from her newly published book, Easy-Does-It Cooking, which had been officially available all of three days.

Tricia had expected at least a few more warm bodies to attend the signing. Mr. Everett's bride of eight months had come down with a cold, which explained her absence, but surely the employees at Angelica's cafe--Jake the cook and Darcy the waitress--might have made an effort to be there. And someone else was conspicuous by his absence.

"Anybody know where Bob is?" Frannie asked.

Bob Kelly, owner of Kelly Realty, and the president of the local Chamber of Commerce, had been Angelica's significant other for the past eighteen months--ever since she'd come to live in Stoneham.

"I'm sure he'll have a perfectly reasonable explanation for being late," Tricia lied. She and Bob weren't exactly best friends, but she tried to overlook his many shortcomings for her sister's sake.

"I saw his car parked down the street, near History Repeats Itself," Ginny volunteered. "It's been there a while."

Angelica pouted. "He said he'd be here."

"There's still time," Tricia rea.s.sured her.

Angelica nodded, resigned. "Business hasn't been good lately, and he's been preoccupied. It probably just slipped his mind."

"I'm sure you're right," Tricia said, and hoped her nose hadn't just grown an inch.